A California woman has learned her fate for fatally shooting a woman while she was in the bed of the killer’s former romantic partner.
Jessica Quintanilla, 24, was sentenced on Friday to 25 years to life in prison for the murder of Leilani Marie Beauchamp, 19.
Marco Quintanilla, Jessica’s 30-year-old brother, was sentenced to four years in prison for being an accessory. The two were found guilty in November.
According to the Vacaville Reporter, the victim was shot while in bed at the home of Jessica Quintanilla’s ex, an Air Force airman.
Jessica Quintanilla allegedly told her brother, “We killed someone,” which he later claimed was a joke.
Beauchamp was reported missing on Oct. 30, 2021, after leaving a Halloween party in Sacramento with two active-duty Air Force airmen who lived in Fairfield, according to a Facebook post by police.
Police discovered the murder scene at that house and quickly arrested the siblings and one of the airmen who lived there, leading them to the site where Beauchamp’s body was dumped in Salinas, more than 130 miles south of where she was killed.
“It looks like it could be a love triangle situation, but it is still being actively investigated,” Solano County Chief Deputy District Attorney Paul Sequeira told local Fox affiliate KTVU at the time.
The former airman who led police to the body was granted immunity from prosecution in exchange for his testimony. He testified on the stand that Jessica Quintanilla threatened to kill him if he spoke out.
Jessica Quintanilla testified that she was upset with her ex and hungover, but the shooting was an accident, and that her ex had a gun that “went off” when he confronted her.
According to The Reporter, Jessica Quintanilla’s attorney, William Alan Welch, described the shooting that morning as “the quintessential heat of passion action,” as the victim lay naked in bed with his client’s ex.
Beauchamp’s family expressed their grief over his death.
“Leilani was truly a blessing to us and her beloved friends,” the family told KCRA, a local NBC affiliate. “Leilani had a very close relationship with her younger brother and sister, and even after she started college, she communicated with them on a daily basis.
We will miss her smile, laugh, caring demeanor, strong will, zest for life, and the love she brought into our lives. “We love you, Leilani.”
